Helmet Bracket System

ABSTRACT

The helmet bracket system is an electro-mechanical device for mounting digital head-mounted systems. The Helmet bracket system is lightweight, supports one-handed adjustment, has a breakaway base, and is mechanically low profile. The device also supports the transfer of high bandwidth digital data.

This invention has already been filed as a provisional patent,application No. 61/258,071 which was filed on Nov. 4, 2009.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, attaching night vision goggles or similar devices to amilitary helmet is a common process in the military. As technology hasadvanced, it has become necessary to attach sophisticated electronicdevices to military helmets. Those electronic devices, in addition toperforming normal functions, require multi-conductor electricalinterfaces with both power and high bandwidth signals to be connectedfrom the electronic devices, through the front or side walls of thehelmet to the rear of the helmet, and through the rear wall toadditional electronics or a battery power source. This has to beachieved without either exposing the interconnections to external damageunder the rim of the helmet or by adding or enlarging additional holesor in some other way degrading the ballistic protection properties ofthe helmet.

Thus, what is needed is a helmet bracket system for attaching electronichead-mounted quick disconnect devices to military combat helmets withoutpassing cables carrying high bandwidth electrical signals underneath therim of a helmet or affecting the ballistic integrity of the helmet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of a helmet bracket system and a helmetin accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a view of a head cable assembly routed under a helmet andconnected to a docking station in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 shows a view of a head cable assembly passing through a modifiedfastener located on the front of a helmet in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows an isometric view of a portion of a docking station and itssealed electrical contacts in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of a break-away unit assembled to anelectro/mechanical interface shoe in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a view of a shoe port on the bottom of a break-away unit inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows an isometric view of an electro/mechanical interface shoeand its electrical contacts in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8 shows a view of a break-away unit including a housing in which atilt switch sensor resides in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 9 shows a view of a break-away unit in a deployed position with atilt switch sensor and an actuator in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 10 shows a view of a break-away unit in the a stowed position inaccordance to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. Thedescription is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merelyfor the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention,since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention generally relates to ahelmet bracket system for attaching electronic head-mounted, quickdisconnect devices to military combat helmets without passing cablesunderneath the rim of the helmet or affecting ballistic integrity of thehelmet.

The helmet bracket system may comprise modified fasteners, around-to-flat-to-round cable harness, a docking station, a break-awayarm, a tilt switch, a shoe switch, and a shoe capable of connectingelectrically via contact pads.

The helmet bracket system may be an articulated mechanical deviceattached by integrated fasteners to the helmet. The helmet bracketsystem may be attached and detached from the helmet by means of anintegrated electro-mechanical plug and socket that provides mechanicalstrength for mounting the helmet bracket system as well as providing thenecessary electrical pathways. A similar arrangement may be used atother attachment sites in the front, rear, or sides of the helmet. Thehelmet bracket system may also include sensors and switches that arecombined into electrical pathways to allow the status of the helmetbracket system, such as docking connection status and position, to besent to an attached electrical device, thus allowing power to be savedby powering down the electrical device upon receiving signals indicatingthat the electrical device is in a stowed position.

The electrical pathways between the helmet bracket system and theattached electrical device may comprise spring-loaded pins havingintegrated sealing such that they are seated when a mechanicalconnection is made between the helmet bracket system and the attachedelectrical device. The electrical pathways may be sealed to protectagainst the environment, thus enabling it to survive submersion to awater depth of at least 30 meters seawater pressure.

The helmet bracket system may allow an electrical device to be attachedand secured to a helmet via the helmet bracket system. Once theelectrical device is attached to the helmet, the helmet bracket systemmay allow the electrical device to be stowed or deployed and may furtherallow the position of the electrical device to be sent to the connectedelectrical device. Further, the helmet bracket system may also allow forthe electrical device to be broken away from the helmet if theelectrical device is subjected to ay external forces.

Existing holes manufactured into ballistic combat helmets may be used totransfer highly flexible conductors through the center of a high-gradefastener, thus avoiding the need to create a separate wiring harnesspath around the rim of the helmet that exposes the conductors tophysical damage or the need to drill new holes on the helmets that mightaffect the structural integrity of the helmet.

Power and communications signals carried by the conductors may be passedalong to the electrical device that is docked with the helmet bracketsystem. Signals provided by a tilt switch and a shoe disconnect switchmay interface with the docked electrical device to relay informationabout the helmet bracket system.

FIG. 1 presents an overall view of a helmet bracket system for attachingan electronic device to a helmet 100, featuring the helmet 100, a headcable 103, a docking station 105, a break-away unit 108, and anelectro/mechanical interface shoe 113. The head cable 103 may carryelectrical power and data signals to be passed from the front 100D ofthe helmet 100 to the rear 100A of the helmet 100 without passing thehead cable 103 over the top 100B of the helmet or under the rim 100C ofthe helmet 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the head cable 103 may enter therear 100A of the helmet 100 by passing through a modified M6 fastener102, which may be used to secure the helmet's chin strap. The head cable103 may then proceed to pass along the underside 100E of the helmet 100where it may transition from a round cable 103A to a flat cable 1038 forease of routing, and then may return to the form of a round cable 103C,where it may exit the helmet through another modified fastener 104. Themodified fasteners 104 and 102 may mate with the helmet 100 throughexisting bolt holes (not shown). After exiting the helmet 100 throughmodified fastener 104, the head cable 103D may be routed into thedocking station 105, where the electrical power and signals may bepassed through an electrical breakaway mechanism (shown in more detailin FIG. 4). FIG. 3 shows an enlarged detail view of the modifiedfastening hardware 104, located on the front 100D of helmet 100, and thehead cable sections 103C and 103D transitioning through it.

The electrical breakaway mechanism, which may be part of the helmetdocking station 105, is elaborated upon in FIG. 4. The electricalbreakaway mechanism may include sealed spring-loaded electrical contacts106 and an additional overall contact seal 107 that may surround thecluster of contacts 106. These spring-loaded contacts 106 may mate withthe sealed conductive pads 109 incorporated into the break-away unit 108depicted in FIG. 5. By passing the signal along with electrical cable110, the electrical power and signals may be relayed from the sealedconductive pads 109 to the shoe port 111. The shoe port 111 is shown inFIG. 6 where the break-away unit 108 has been re-oriented to view thebottom of the shoe port 111. This view allows for the sealed electricalcontacts 112 contained within the shoe port 111 to be revealed.

Mating with the shoe port 111 may be the electro/mechanical interfaceshoe 113 shown in FIG. 7. This shoe 113 may contain several sealedspring-loaded contacts 114, which may allow power and data signals to bepassed from the break-away unit 108 to the shoe port 111 and through theshoe 113 into an external device. A cable 115 may allow for electricalconnectivity to an undefined external device.

When a release button is depressed, the shoe 113 may be disengaged fromthe break-away unit 108, and a separate signal may be provided toindicate that the shoe 113 is no longer secured to the break-away unit108.

FIG. 8 depicts a view of the break-away unit 108 oriented as to showtilt switch sensor housing 116. The tilt switch sensor 117 may provide asignal indicating whether the break-away unit is in its stowed ordeployed position. FIG. 9 shows the break-away unit 108 rotated again.The tilt switch sensor 117 may be located such that it interfaces withtilt switch actuator 118. The orientation of the tilt switch actuator118 in reference to the tilt switch sensor 117 may be dependant onwhether the break-away unit 108 is in its stowed or deployed position.FIG. 9 depicts the break-away unit 108 in its deployed position. FIG. 10shows the break-away unit 108 in its stowed position.

The helmet bracket system may allow for a cable carrying power andcommunication signals to pass through modified existing fasteners on theback of a helmet, pass along the interior surface of the helmet changingfrom a round cable wire harness to a flat cable wire harness during thisphase, change back to a round wire harness, and pass through modifiedexisting fasteners on the front of the helmet to a docking station, passthrough the break-away arm, and exit the helmet bracket system by meansof an electrical connection on the helmet bracket shoe. Because thehelmet bracket system may use existing bolt hole patterns on the helmetwithout changing the structural integrity of the helmet shell, thesystem may obviate the need to route electrical connections from beingrouted under the rims of helmets.

Further, existing fastening hardware used to secure the helmet webbing,chin-straps, and currently-deployed helmet bracketry may be modified toallow electrical routing. The fastening hardware may be modified byadding a concentric port along the functional axis of the thread, thusallowing electrical connections to pass through the port withoutaffecting the functional integrity of the fastening hardware.

The helmet bracket system may include a break-away arm that may bemovable between a stowed and deployed position. A tilt-switch mechanismon the break-away arm may provide a signal indicating whether thebreak-away arm is in the stowed or deployed position. The helmet bracketsystem may further incorporate a mechanism for electrical disconnectduring mechanical breakaway of the break-away arm from its dockingstation. Electrical connections between the break-away arm and itsdocking station may be achieved by sealed spring-loaded contact pins andcontact pads.

When a release button is depressed to disengage the shoe from thebreakaway arm, a separate signal may be provided to indicate that theshoe is no longer secured to the breakaway arm. Power and communicationsignals may also be passed through the shoe via sealed contact pads andspring-loaded contact pins.

The wire harness carrying the head cable 103 may be around-to-flat-to-round wire harness that follows the curvature of thehelmet in order to increase the comfort of a user. In alternativeembodiments, the wire harness carrying the head cable 103 may be a roundwire harness.

The helmet bracket system may be operated using only one hand, althoughtwo hands may be used if deemed necessary by the user.

While the helmet bracket system may be used during military combat, itmay also be used during search and rescue operations, recreationalsports, emergency services, maintenance/repair activities, or any othersuitable activity.

The helmet bracket system may be made and assembled by using machining,injection molding, printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication, or any othersuitable methods.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates toexemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

1. An apparatus for mounting an external device to a helmet comprising:a rear fastener that allows cables to pass through without affectingballistic integrity of the helmet; a front fastener that allows cablesto pass through without affecting ballistic integrity of the helmet; ahead cable operable to carry electrical power and data signals and topass from a front side of the helmet to a back side of the helmetthrough the rear fastener and the front fastener on the helmet withoutpassing the head cable over a top of the helmet or under a rim of thehelmet, wherein the head cable transitions from a round cable thatpasses through the custom rear fastener to a flat cable which passesaround an underside of the helmet and back to the round cable thatpasses through the custom flanged fastener; an electro/mechanicaldocking station hard mounted to the helmet, the electrical/mechanicaldocking station operable to provide mechanical mounting, powerconnections including duplicate power contacts, and a communicationsattachment; an electro/mechanical break-away unit attached to the helmetdocking station that is operable to deploy and stow the external device,and to receive the electrical power and data signals from the headcable; an electro/mechanical break-away mechanism that is operable tocreate an electrical signal indicating a soft shut down or start-up ofan external device; and a electro/mechanical external device attachmentpoint that, when attached to the electro/mechanical docking station,provides an electrical signal to the external device indicating whetherthe electro/mechanical break-away unit is in a deployed or a stowedposition.